Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Do you take "time" for granted? Do you have a tendency to put things off until tomorrow? I'd like to share a story with you about a friend's sister. She was 64 years old an educator and retired early after giving to her kids and career after all those years.For the first time in her life she was going to finally do things she enjoyed and to take care of herself. She joined a Mah Jong league and recently took up yoga. But the cancer got her and by the time the doctors realized that it was the cause of her joint pains, it was too late. From the time of discovery to her passing was less than 10 days. How one changes lanes from "I'm retired and enjoying my life" to "Oh God, I'm really ill," is just mind-boggling.

So remember, my friend said, "The most precious thing you have isn't family or friends or even health. It is time.Every second you spend is literally history and can't be recovered no matter how much wealth you have. So spend it wisely with family, friends and on your health. You don't know when your number will be up." A lesson he learned while floating in a life raft in the South China sea with three other guys after dumping an aircraft there.

Let today be the beginning of spending your time wisely. Really capture each moment and be glad for it. Use your time for the benefit of yourself and others. Let go of the small stuff and delve into the moment for what it is.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

William Wordsworth was an English poet who poetically expressed his love of nature and respect for humanity without regard to class distinctions. In his poem Nightingale! Thou Surely Art, he exemplifies how spiritual values take root in nature. Simply by taking the time to enjoy the the sounds of nature we can be inspired and become whole.

Immersing yourself in the present moment and shutting out all distractions that tend to busy the mind, you can allow the joyful sounds of nature to take the main stage in your mind and body and find instant peace. I am sure if you recall back to the most joyful and peaceful feelings in your life it will take to a place in nature. It is not by accident that some of the world's most famous poets have found nature to be their source of inspiration. As you read Wordsworth poem try to imagine what he felt while writing it. Understand that this poem goes deeper than a bird singing, but rather he is telling us all to let go of our obsessions and seek out the harmony and insights that nature provides.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Roman statesman, Cicero was Rome's greatest orator and its most articulate philosopher. He lived in the century before the birth of Christ. He had a very successful political career and was also an established writer. In one of his most memorable works, Cicero outlined the six mistakes of man.

Mistake #1:The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others. Unfortunately many believe the only way to elevate oneself is to find fault with another. Instead, work on yourself and watch how you grow.

Mistake #2: To worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected. Does it really make sense to worry about things you have no control over? Living in the present moment is all we have so set aside worry and instead focus on the blessings of NOW.

Mistake #3:Insisting something is impossible because we cannot accomplish it. Pessimism tends to run rampant these days. Just because we can't see the solution doesn't mean there isn't one. Have you ever thought about the ancient sages foreseeing the modern amenities we have today? Hardly, but these amenities obviously were possible, as we are enjoying them right now.

Mistake #4:Refusing to set aside trivial preferences. Why is it that so many of us waste precious time worrying about what others think of us or what we have. Instead, if we use that time in a constructive way just think what we could accomplish.

Mistake #5:Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study. For many, the notion of further study or reading is a waste of time. To the contrary, as Cicero warned his fellow Roman citizens that failure to educate oneself will lead to the downfall of the empire. Immersing oneself in literature greatly enriches life especially when you know you are doing it at of choice rather than an assignment.

Mistake #6:Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do. We see this on a daily basis in the news or in our own neighborhoods of people being victimized by those who are imposing their views of what "we" should be doing and how "we" should be living. The result only leads to tension and resentment. Instead, we need to remind ourselves of what Voltaire once said; "Learn to cultivate your own garden."

Perhaps today is the day we can avoid making at least one of these mistakes. May you find the perfection that lies deep within self.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was an English poet who was appointed poet laureate in 1850, and considered highly representative of the Victorian age in England. In his poem I Envy Not In Any Moods, Tennyson sends us a message that is all too often ignored by those who live in fear of failing. He tells us to go on in life as if failure were not a consideration, and to ignore our fears as we proceed. Freedom is what is valued, despite the inherent risks. Read Tennyson's poem and consider the radical idea; there is no such thing as failure.

I Envy Not In Any Moods:

I envy not in any moods

The captive void of noble rage,

The linnet born within the cage,

That never knew the summer woods:

I envy not the beast that takes

His license in the field of time,

Unfetter'd by the sense of crime,

To whom a conscience never wakes;

Nor, what may count itself as blest,

The heart that never plighted troth

But stagnates in the weeds of sloth,

Nor any want-begotten rest.

I hold it true, what're befall;

I feel it, when I sorrow most;

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

(1809-1892)

Go out today and start something new and never mind the risk you may have to take.

Friday, February 10, 2012

It's easy to get caught up in the frenetic pace of the world. Do you ever wonder why you choose to walk that path? Do you feel you will get ahead somehow? The truth of the matter is the less we engage in the more we can accomplish. The greatest sages known to mankind emphasized inner peace being the key to happiness and fulfillment. Today, why not change your approach and spend time in the moment, become quiet and just be. Here are a few quotes to brighten your day and act as a guide.

As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery.
We have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace.
The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as
anger and attachment, fear and suspicion,
while love and compassion, a sense of universal responsibility
are the sources of peace and happiness.Dalai Lama

Fill your mind with compassion.

Buddha

We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make our world.

Buddha

Daily Necessities
Tips & pointers for building a spiritual life from scratch

Monday, February 6, 2012

In the book The Power of Now, author Eckhart Tolle discusses how to relinquish negativity. He points out resistance is the basis for negativity and this negativity can come in the form of irritation to full blown anger. The ego believes that through negativity it can manipulate reality and get what it wants. There is an unconscious belief that unhappiness buys you what you want. This of course does not work and in fact you only attract an undesirable result. The only useful function of using negativity this way is to strengthen the ego, and that is why the ego loves it.

Negativity is totally unnatural and in fact a psychic pollutant. There is no other life-form on the planet that knows negativity, only humans. So how can we stop negativity from arising? Simple... STAY PRESENT. When you reach a certain degree of being fully present, you don't need negativity anymore to tell you what is needed in your life situation.

Whenever you notice that some form of negativity has arisen, don't beat yourself up but rather look to it as a helpful signal telling you: "Wake up. Get out of your head and be present." Don't ponder the situation. If that is too difficult to do, then feel yourself becoming transparent and allow the irritation, or whatever is causing the negativity to pass right through you. Let go of the resistance and just let it pass through you. At first this will be difficult to do because the tendency is to search for something else. The key is to surrender to the moment and to completely accept where you are.